John t



(No Model.)

J. T. SHANIL WEATHER BOARD GAGE.

No. 302,638. Patented July 29, 1884.

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JOHN T. SHANK, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALLYN M. LAIHAM, OF SAME PLACE.

WEATHER-BOARD GAGE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 302,638, dated July 29, 1884!:-

Anplicntion filed May 19, 1884.

T wZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. SHANK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spring' field, in the county of Greene, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and use l'ul Improvements in Devices for Supporting and Gaging Siding; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, .clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable IO others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for supporting and gaging weatherboarding or siding, the object of which is to provide a simple, convenient, and adjustable device for supporting the board while being scribed and nailed. These objects I attain by means of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming apart of this speei- 2o lication, in which the figure is a view in elevation showing the entire device.

A represents a lever, made of iron or other suitable material and in any desired shape, preferably as shown, rectangular, and having 2 5 a hole to receive a fulcrum pin or bolt, b, in a post, B. This lever has two or more teeth, a a, the upper end, a having a slide, F, which is made of similar material. Said slide F has a slot, f, for a set-screw, E. This slide 0 may be formed in any desired shape, preferably as shown, having a straight edge, f", and a groove, to receive the lever. This head or slide F, which is attached so as to adjust the length of the lever, determines the amount of the board or siding to be laid to the weather, which is the distance from the end 0 of the base to the top f of the head F. This head or slide may be provided with a spring, ratchet, catch, or other equivalent device for staying the same at any point desired, but is preferably secured, as shown, by means of a set-screw.

B is a post made a part of or rigidly at-' tached to the base 0. It has a slot, 1), to re- 5 ceive the lever, and a bolt or pin, b", to secure the same.

0 is the base having the upper end 0 pro jecting above the post B, and in or on it are one or more sharp brads or teeth, 0 c. I prefor two, as shown, one at each edge. The

(No model.)

lower end, a of the said base extends below the lower end, a, of thelever, that it may receive a tap by a hammer to drive the brads or teeth 0 a into the lower edge of the last board nailed. I

D is a spring of any desired tension. It may be spiral or any other suitable shape, attached to either the lever or base; but Ipreferalong spring, as shown, attached firmly to the base near the bottom of the post B, and resting against the lower end, a, of the lever A.

In operating the device the lower end of the lever is depressed, and by driving 011 the lower end of the base the brads c 0 enter the lower edge of the board last nailed, and on releasing the lower end of the lever the spring causes the teeth a c to catch on the face near the lower edge of the same board. The said teeth a a being placed near the post 13, the lever and spring cause the said teeth to hold the device 0 firmly to its place, and as they are placed near the post they will clasp the board in all cases, whether warped or not. The device thus constructed, the brads c c, entering the lower edge of the board last nailed, does not loosen the boards or start the nails, as is the case with gages heretofore made. The brads c 0 being driven in until the end 0 rests against the lower edge of the last board nailed, thus forming a perfect gage or giving the same amount of exposure to the weather for each board, which may be regulated by the setscrew or equivalent device of the head F. The board to be scribed and nailed is placed upon thefirm support thus formed atf The 8 5 indentures made by the brads and teeth are slight,and will disappear by the action of the weather or be filled in painting.

Having thus described the construction, use, and operation of my invention, what I 0 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I l. A device for supporting and gaging siding or weather-boarding, composed of a lever,

A, having teeth a a to clasp the lower edge of 5 a board, and an adjustable head, F, whichhas a support, f a slot, f, and a set-screw, E, a base, 0, extendingbelow the lower end, a, of the lever, the upper end having brads c c, to enter the lower edge of the last board nailed, IOO

a post, B, and a spring, D, to raise the lower end of the lever, all substantially as shown and described. I

2. In a device for supporting weather-boarding or siding, a lever, A, having teeth a a,

,placed so as to clasp the lower edge of the last board nailed, combined with a base, G, eX-.

tending below the lower end of the lever, said base having a post, B, and teeth or sharp brads c 0, and an attached spring, D, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of a long spring, D, at- 

